Your overall health is a reflection of your reproductive health. Give yourself a long and healthy life. Consider the following tips to stay healthy:

Maintain a normal body weight. Weighing too much OR too little can put your health at risk and can also diminish your fertility.

Exercise to maintain fitness, adding weight training as you age (especially over 40) to increase muscle mass and maintain a healthy body. But be careful not to over-exercise and strain your body (e.g., consistently running more than 6-10 miles/day).

Don't smoke. Smoking lowers your chances for pregnancy, increases the risk of miscarriage, and smokers tend to go through menopause 2 years earlier than non-smokers.

Never have unprotected sex until you are ready to conceive. The sexually transmitted disease that you acquire today can affect your fertility tomorrow.

When you're ready to have children, don't delay. Age of female partner is the number one determinant of successful fertility treatment for all couples. Duration of infertility is the second most important factor. Once you're actively trying to conceive, don't delay evaluation, especially if you're over 35. If your cycles are regular, seek help after 12 months or after 6 months if you're over 35. If your cycles are not regular, seek help immediately. Once you've started treatment, expect the evaluation to be completed in no more than 2 months and treatment cycles to range from 3-6 months before progressing to the next step.

Stay informed. Be the captain of your ship and always understand what is asked of you by your physician. Ask questions, understand the process and become actively involved in your health.

The best approach to staying fertile in today's busy world is to take care of yourself: eat well, sleep well, reduce your stress, and take all things in moderation. Most things in moderation are OK. You do not need to completely decaffeinate yourself, or to completely stop all alcohol during your pregnancy attempts. A cup of coffee in the morning and an occasional glass of wine is fine. Once pregnant, however, we recommend no alcohol as we do not know the least amount that can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Consider your body a temple and take care of it since a healthy body is a healthy reproductive body.